Cornell, Penn for season's end

The men's soccer team found itself in a familiar situation last Saturday, after losing to Harvard, 2-1. The defeat marked the Tigers' fifth one-point loss of the year, knocking them out of contention for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.

Against Harvard (11-4 overall, 4-1 Ivy League), Princeton (6-6-3, 1-3-1) dominated momentum and tempo, but couldn't capitalize on scoring opportunities. Harvard's offense, which leads the league in production with 31 goals, was able to find the net twice.

"We've got to do a better job at anticipating where the ball is going," head coach Jim Barlow '91 said. "We've been generating a lot of crosses, but we just can't seem to be in the right spot to finish plays."

Princeton looks to turn things around for the final two games of the season. Wins against Cornell and Penn would elevate the team to a record of 3-3-1 in the Ivy League, the same record as last season when Princeton ended the year in a four-way tie for first in the league.

The Tigers travel to Ithaca, N.Y., this Saturday for what may well be a difficult match up against the Big Red (1-3-1 Ivy League, 2-8-3 overall). Though Cornell got off to a shaky start, it has been on fire as of late, dispatching a tough Yale squad and narrowly losing at Brown. The Big Red does a good job spreading the ball around the field, and has a stingy defense which has only conceded 16 goals all year.

A week after facing Cornell, the Tigers will close out the season against perennial rival Penn, at Lourie-Love Field. The Quakers (8-4-0, 4-1-0) are still in the Ivy League title race, and desperately need a win to ensure a share of the title. Last year, Princeton defeated Penn, 2-1, thanks to two goals in the final 10 minutes of play. But both the forwards who scored those goals for Princeton have graduated, while Penn is returning almost all of its starters.

Offensively, forward Matt Klein, who scored against Princeton last season, has three goals this year and leads a robust Quaker attack.

Penn will also challenge the Tigers' struggling offense with a formidable defense. Penn's goalkeeper, Daniel Cepero, has recorded five shutouts this season, a league high.

But when Cornell and Penn play Princeton, they'll be faced with their own set of obstacles. Princeton's two goalies, senior Justin Oppenheimer and sophomore Joe Walter, lead the league in saves with a combined 73. The Tigers defense has consistently frustrated opponents, allowing just 1.15 goals per game.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for Princeton this season is the role freshmen have played. The Tigers are hoping freshman forwards Devin Muntz and Max Hare will continue their streak of clutch performances. Muntz leads the team with four goals, and Hare, who wasn't a starter until midway through the season, has two goals, including the game-winner against Seton Hall.

The Orange and Black will also rely on more experienced leadership to carry them through their remaining games. Junior forward Kyle McHugh, with three goals, is always a scoring threat. On defense, junior Matt Kontos and senior Jame Wunsch will look to shut down Penn's offense, which is second only to Harvard in points scored.

Princeton has played well down the stretch and might be leading the league, if not for a few bad breaks.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"Now that we've been eliminated from the Ivy title race, we're going to find out a lot about our guys' character," Barlow said.

Whether Princeton rebounds from its string of rough defeats or collapses in the midst of adversity will have implications for next season. Victories over two quality opponents will build confidence, while defeats will leave the team near the bottom of the Ivy League standings.

Barlow and his team look forward to a repeat of last season, when Princeton defeated both Cornell and Penn.

"We're not afraid of anyone," Barlow said.